NHS Trust to celebrate opening of Highfields learning disabilities centre
A day care service for people with multiple learning and physical disabilities run by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating its move to a new home on Wednesday 7th October.
Highfields is a new community resource centre in Edgerton, Huddersfield, and the Trust’s Lindley Special Care Unit has moved to the brand new building as part of Kirklees Council’s Adult Day Opportunities programme.
The new centre provides a state of the art, high quality building which is fully accessible, both internally and in the outside areas, for people with learning disabilities. It also offers a wide range of day opportunities and other activities for adults who need social care support.
People who use the service, their families and carers have all been involved in the project and have managed to raise £15,000 for a multi-sensory room, also known as a Snoezelen room.
Snoezelen is a Dutch word which means ‘sniff and doze’ and the unique rooms are equipped with lights, colours, sounds, smells and vibrations – all designed to stimulate the senses of people with multiple disabilities.
The main Snoezelen room is equipped with specially designed vibrating bean bags, bubble tubes, colourful lights and fibre optic equipment and also has a Wi-Fi interaction facility which enables service users to have control of the room.
Lindley Special Care Unit manager Paula Chilcott said, “We are delighted with our new home. In particular the snoezelen rooms are really beneficial for the people we care for and they really enjoy using them. “The new facilities and equipment allows us to be able to tailor care to each person’s needs depending on their disability, for example we have bean bags that vibrate to music for people who are deaf and we can make the room relaxing or lively depending on what would be the most beneficial.” Highfields will offer a wide range of expertise for 19-65 year olds with disabilities, from nursery support to healthy lifestyles, all which aim to increase integration into the community.
The building will be officially opened by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Mehboob Khan with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
The opening gets underway at 4pm until 6pm at Highfields, Cemetery Road, Edgerton, Huddersfield, however invitations for the event have already been sent out.